K-Beauty and Other Asian Skin Care Favourites

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K-Beauty and Other Asian Skin Care Favourites

Admin   December 16, 2019   Comment  

 HADALABO Gokujun Cleansing Oil 

My current favourite affordable oil cleanser. It's got a nice rich oil texture which emulsifies into a thick emulsion that removes all makeup, though (the only minus I can say) it can't quite handle every waterproof mascara (Essence's are so stubborn). It doesn't irritate my eyes or make my vision foggy, there's no annoying scent, it washes off completely leaving no filter behind and unlike a lot of oils it doesn't break me out. One pump is enough for my face, so I use it much less than Biobaza I used before and it's also cheapest per ml from the oils that suit me. If I didn't have to order online it'd be perfect, though it doesn't take that long to arrive from Japan.  

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Mask Wash off

I know that it's probably not the best thing to use a harsh scrub and to be fair I use it maybe once a month, but it's the only thing that makes my skin smooth, soft and feel like new, since no amount of AHAs or other products does it for me. It's a densely packed sugar scrub and if your skin is just a bit sensitive, do not try this (honey version is much less intense), but on me it gets rid of bumpy, uneven feeling texture. This also functions as a mask that you leave on for 10 minutes, though I never use it that way. I'm on my second pot and I have the honey version too.

CORSX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

Some swear by this and say it's one of the best blackhead products, but I've never seen any effect on mine, however, I use this because my skin then behaves much better and it's clear. It contains BHA meaning it clears out the pores and helps with spots too, but it's relatively weak. Since it's a light liquid it's easy to layer and to include in the routine. 

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence

I've been using this every day for two-ish years. I fell in love with it through samples - one of big pluses of K-Beauty, there's almost always samples. It's the product that I noticed the biggest visible difference when I started using it, not a massive visible difference, but this improved my skin in general, as before most foundations looked odd on me and since I started using it my skin is smoother and makeup applies nicer. There's a bit of brightening/evening the skin tone and the skin texture looks more refined, but it's more about how my skin acts since I started using it.

LEE JIHAM DR.'s Care Vita-Propolis Ampoule

There's was this amazing Banila product called Miss Flower & Mr. Honey Essence Oil that suited my skin so well, but it was discontinued a while ago. This is the replacement I found, though the bottle is so small for the price (15 ml for about 9$+). Propolis gives my skin a healthy glow and keeps it in check. I actually found (though samples) Tosowoong Propolis Sparkle Ampoule works very similarly for me and you get much more product for the price. 

CEZANNE Skin Conditioner High Moist

Another product that I use every day, morning and night. It's a toner-like lotion that absorbs fast and feels very hydrating. It contains ceramides, Job's Tears extract, 3 types of hyaluronic acid, collagen and amino acids. The bottle is huge with 500 ml and I've had it for so long. It can be used all over the body, I often use it on my hands when I don't want the greasy feeling of a hand cream.

ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Facial Toner

I only had the small size of this and if my skin line-up weren't so big, I'd buy it in a heartbeat even though it doesn't boast with the same fancy ingredients as my other products. It feels so lovely and it's definitely one of the nicest toners I've ever tried. It reminds me a lot of Hada Labo lotion in terms of texture (another amazing product worth the purchase, but it breaks me out. We now have a version of it in Slovenia), which means it's a rich toner-meets-serum consistency. It feels so comforting and lovely on the skin, it's just great stuff. The smells is also amazing, like oranges and it became one of my favourite scents of skincare. It contains hydrolysed collagen and adansonia digitata fruit extract, but that's about it.

BEAUTY OF JOSEON Dynasty Cream

This is so far my favourite moisturiser. It has niacinamide on 4th place among the ingredients (2%) and there's 10% glycerin, but lower on the list it also boasts with hyaluronic acid, vitamin E, olive oil, sunflower oil, centella asiatica, argan oil, ceramides, honey, ginseng and some other extracts. It's got rich texture that's more like a gel, or gel-cream and takes some time to absorb, so I prefer to use it as a part of my night routine, though it can work under makeup too. There's an extra spoon added, so you don't have to scoop it out with fingers. 

HOLIKA HOLIKA Good Cera Super Ceramide Emulsion

My morning moisturiser because it's lighter and absorbs faster than Dynasty Cream, so I can put over a sunscreen and makeup fast. Apart from ceramides it contains camelia oil, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and plenty other extracts, though they are lower on the list. The packaging is very big with a generous 130 ml. 

TONY MOLY Panda's Dream White Sleeping Pack

My skin loves this, but it's better suited for me in the summer because it's one of those gel-cream textures despite being called a sleeping mask. In a thin application works like a moisturiser for oily-combination skin, but in a thick coat it creates an layer of moisture on the skin that lasts until morning. It's great for under the makeup and I used up two pots of these, but I haven't repurchase it recently because I have so much of Holika. This one also has niacinamide, as well as allantoin, several extracts (bamboo, jasmine, apple, blackberry,…) and even a peptide, but it's the last on the list. Unlike the other two moisturisers this one is scented and quite strongly, it smells like clean-laundry. 

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask

Berry

I got this recently and I'm very impressed by it. I had my eye on it for a while because this is so praised and reviews are right - this is really good. It doesn't feel super thick like I would expect, but it sticks on the lips until the morning and it leaves them properly nourished. The extra silicone spatula is a great help during application and the formula has a nice gentle berry scent. In a thick coat it also has a glossy shine, which looks so good I wear it during the day too. This now exists in several versions (berry is the original): vanilla, grapefruit, apple lime, mint choco.

BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50 / PA++++

Note: this is the 2015 version and it has since gone through a formula change, but I hear it's similar. This the lightest sunscreen I found, it doesn't feel like a regular sun cream at all. It's a liquid lotion that's easy to apply in large quantities and has zero white cast. Initially it feels like a watery cream on the skin, but after about five minutes it's completely set to a velvety primer type finish. You can feel it on the skin when you touch it, but it's a very silicone-y dry feel. It's an excellent base for makeup and it managed to protect me well despite spending hours in the sun working. I heard a lot of people say that it reeks of alcohol, but I don't notice it that much and I mostly get a nice lemon biscuit type of scent. I've tried the gel version as well and it feels the same to me, though people with oily skin tend to prefer that one. 

I also recently has a chance to try Missha's Aqua Sun Gel SPF50 version and it's really good too.

SHEET MASKS

PAPA RECIPE Bombee Honey Mask

Original, Whitening and Rose Gold

These are my favourite sheet masks, especially the whitening version which truly brightens. They are intensely nourishing, they improve the general condition of the skin, perk it up, make it feel smoother, softer and more even. Rose Gold looks gorgeous with the gold mesh design and all smell fantastic like honey. They aren't the cheapest if you're buying just one on eBay, but in a pack the price for one is more reasonable. 

THE SAEM Natural Skin Fit Mask 

Grapefruit 

I still have these in the limited edition packaging from a while ago (I bought a pack and haven't run out yet), while the regular packaging is white with grapefruits. This has the most comfortable essence I've ever tried. In terms of what it does, it's pretty much just intense moisturising, but the essence makes it such a luxurious experience. It also smells fantastic like grapefruits.

ETUDE HOUSE 0.2 Therapy Air Sheet Mask

Madecassoside (soothing) & Snail (smoothing)

Both of these are fantastic formulas of sheet masks, they feel like your skin was drenched in moisture and nourishing ingredients. They are quite similar, as both have a creamy essence and a thin comfortable sheet, so they are a delight to use. I use Madecassoside when my skin is very dry because it's very nourishing, soothing and it also evens my skin (without a brightening effect, it just takes down any redness). It's actually the same as The Face Shop's The Solution Madecassoside. Snail is my sheet mask when I need repairing, especially if I suffered a sunburn or have an inflamed spot - it just works for me. From this line I also like Ceramide and Manuka Honey, but dislike Hyaluronic Acid and feel indifferent towards Collagen and Pearl.

MY BEAUTY DIARY Facial Mask Sheet

Black Pearl

This is the second most brightening formula after Papa Recipe. The essence is lighter and more toner-like than the masks I've mentioned above, but it does the job of hydrating excellently and it acts as a sort of a reset button for my skin, so whenever my skin just doesn't look right, I use this. The Face Shop The Solution mask Pearl is very similar.

THE FACE SHOP The Solution Face Mask

Madecassoside & Pearl

I actually really like more of these: ceramide, propolis, vitamin C and hyaluronic acid, but these two are my favourite. Apart from formulas, I also love that they fit me perfectly in terms of size of the sheet. They are also super thin and feel great on the face. Madecassoside is exactly the same as Etude House, so very nourish and soothing and Peal is the same as My Beauty Diary Black Pearl, so brightening .

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch

These are the only thing I found that do at least a little bit of something to help heal a spot. They work especially well on those brewing volcanoes where you know the spot will turn white and you can't pop it because it'll become infected, making your life miserable for several days +leave a pretty much permanent mark forever. Those type of spots are the ones I get on the chin and this patch can make them smaller up to 90% overnight and it completely disappears in the next days with the help of other COSRX products (BHA and whitehead liquid). But there were some other times when these don't do much of a difference and those are the obnoxious spots on my cheeks. There are 24 patches of varying sizes in one pack.

Adjusting Beauty made her post recently if you're interested in more recommendations.

Have a great day!

New in #86

A'Pieu Cerave Charlotte Tilbury Clinique Ecooking Etude House Hourglass It Cosmetics L'Oreal Laneige Laura Mercier Maybelline New In Oriflame Pixi Rimmel Skintegra The Ordinary Wet n Wild

New in #86

Admin   November 24, 2019   Comment  

 IT COSMETICS Your Skin But Better CC+ Cream with SPF 50+ 

Fair

Travel Size 12 ml

As hyped up as this is, I'm not 100% sold on it. I got the travel version because this has snail secretion filtrate high on the list of ingredients and as great as it is, products with it tend to break me out. It's a heavy, moisturiser-like formula with a medium-high coverage and on me a very shiny/dewy finish, which takes time to tone down. Despite thickness it blends well into the skin and looks good freshly applied apart from creasing under the eyes and on the lids, but after a half an hour I just don't like this one very much. It looks obvious and sits strangely in some places, though it doesn't emphasise pores. When it comes to lines it mostly emphasised them at the end of the day, but there were some days when it didn't. With time as it's wearing off it starts to look good again, so I'd wear this one only in small quantities, otherwise it's a bit much for me. I had a brief period when my skin was very dry and flaky (the previous part of review was done on normal skin), so I picked this CC to see if it works on such skin. It did a good job, I have nothing more appropriate for dry skin, but it couldn't hide all the flakies. Shade Fair is not very pale, so fellow Snow Whites, this very expensive and popular foundation/CC left us out, though I still wear it, since it's just a shade too dark. It's about the same as Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum 51 or probably Mac NC 15 without a strong yellow undertone. Luckily It Cosmetics has small sizes, so I didn't spend a ton on a foundation that's not my best match. It's worth it if you're looking for high coverage, extra layer of spf and great ingredients, but I actually prefer Clinique's foundation I'll mention bellow.

Cult Beauty, £13.00

CHARLOTTE TILBURY Hollywood Flawless Filter Primer & Highlighter Hybrid

1 Fair

I'm still confused what this actually is, on some days it feels like a highlighter, but on gloomy days it's a foundation - in small quantities that is. I generally avoid the Charlotte Tilbury hype, but I was looking for a fantastic out-of-this-world primer that would blur pores, lines and illuminate at the same time and this is described to be just such a product, plus this has such a high feedback everywhere I looked that I caved despite the insane price. It's a primer-highlighter-light coverage foundation hybrid, so you can use it either on its own, under foundation, mixed with the foundation or on top of foundation. I've had primer-highlighter hybrids before and was missing one in my collection since I used up L'Oreal Magic Lumi, but this adds the coverage part to the mix too. There are two reviews I can write about this. I used this first on a nice sunny day on its own and I looked like the shiniest creature on earth, but with that greasy shine, not the illuminated "glow from within" shine. I didn't set it with powder, which would help make it more wearable on its own. Flash forward on a cloudy, rainy days we have now and that extra shine helps my skin look more glowy and less drab. I set it with powder to tone down the shine because this is a lot on its own, but with a powder it works as a standalone product on the skin. Applied over foundation on the high points of the face it is a bit underwhelming for me, but I am used to the visible from space Colourpop's Flexiterian and this is a lot more subtle that proper highlighters. Coverage is actually better that I though it will be, it's a low level, but good enough to wear on its own with some extra concealer where needed, though it definitely won't satisfy those who love medium to high coverage foundations. As a primer under foundations, I'm not impressed. Despite reading reviews from numerous people who said it smooths the skin, hides pores and lines, I didn't notice that at all. Like I kind of suspected, since it's glowy it behaves the same as any other liquid highlighter, so it emphasises, not hides. It's not successful at hiding pores and it slips into lines after a couple of hours, so it's not as amazing as I hoped. It can also look so terrible with a foundation on top, like a mask of heavy foundation with flakes around the edges of application. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it yet, it feels a bit underwhelming for the price and I think you can get similar products for the price without the coverage part (which you can add with a separate foundation anyway). I hate the packaging with the big applicator so much because you get hardly any product with one swipe, especially since the formula is very thick. A pump would be so much better.

Cult Beauty, £32.00

CLINIQUE Even Better Refresh Hydrating and Repairing Makeup Full-Coverage Foundation

0.75 Custard

Big fan on this one. This was one of the five foundations I tried in my test that I posted on Instagram Stories and I like it a lot straight away, but I was using Olay Regenerist under it in that test, which prevented this foundation from setting because it's meant for drier skin tones and it felt heavy for my taste because of it. I had some sample left and I wore it an extra day, that time less, so the way I wear foundations and with a lighter base under it. It wore so good I went online straight away, found Look Fantastic has it so much cheaper than my local drugstore, plus -20% at the time and I just ordered it. It's a high coverage foundation with a satin finish that for such a level of coverage looks so much better than other foundations. It's still natural looking on the skin, it doesn't slip into pores or lines and it's a hydrating foundation with the best staying power I've found. Usually you get a good staying power only at matte formulas, but this one just hangs on for hours without migrating on the face (even at the first test when it was tacky all day, it did not wipe off). Look Fantastic has the lightest shade in stock 0.75 custard, which is a very pale yellow toned shade that fits me well. This is without a doubt my favourite high coverage foundation so far.

Look Fantastic, £24.00

 MAYBELLINE Dream Urban Cover Foundation SPF50 

095 Fair Porcelain

I'll just say it first - people, this is the furthest thing away from being a dupe for It Cosmetics. Same SPF does not indicate a dupe. This is a very lightweight, runny liquid formula instead of the heavy, creamy one of CC and it doesn't cover as much, instead it has a light-medium coverage that can be build up to a proper medium. It applies beautifully on the skin, it's got that non-makeup look to it, plus it doesn't sink into pores, nor does it emphasise lines. Finish right after application is natural with some radiance and it sets to an almost dry to the touch finish. Sadly in a couple of hours on its own it get that "sunscreen shine", where it almost looks oily, so a powder is needed with this foundation and oily skin types might struggle keeping it matte. But in other aspects it wears beautiful - despite the extra dewiness it doesn't emphasise or slip into pores, it doesn't even look terrible on my smile lines  as time passes, which is a big plus when it comes to what I'm looking for at foundations. I get no patches that someone mentioned to me on IG and warned me to not get this foundation, but I appreciate any extra opinion I can share here too. I like it, but I have to use a mattifying powder with it despite having normal skin. 095 Fair Porcelain is one of the lightest shades in my collection and it's just a smidge darker than Essence's #insta perfect 10. Undertone is neutral pink so it fits me perfectly. This foundation doesn't have the best UVA protection (it's only against UVA short-waves), but hopefully none of you think you can just wear this and be protected, as for the protection on the label you can too apply a lot of it, but I won't get into the sunscreen debate, there are plenty other sunscreen obsessed bloggers to tell you everything you're doing is wrong.    

Feel Unique, €10.56

 ETUDE HOUSE Face Blur SPF33 PA++ 

My primer collection consisted of a single product that I don't even like that much, so I've spend some time researching primers. I've had this one noted somewhere for ages and now that they revamped it by increasing the SPF to 33, I ordered myself a bottle. Reviews for this are great and it's described as a brightening/radiant primer plus it promises to hide pores - so very similar to Hollywood Filter claims. First that hits you is the strong rose + powder scent, which is not my favourite and if you have sensitive skin, this very likely won't work for you (Hollywood is unscented by the way). It's much lighter than I imagined, I expected something thick that will fill the pores. It's also not a strong radiant primer, at least it's not a typical light liquid highlighter product like L'Oreal's Magic Lumi I had and it doesn't have visible shimmer. For something called Face Blur it doesn't blur, at least when it comes to pores and lines, while it has a touch of off-white pink colour which makes the skin a bit paler, but on my skin tone it's not noticeable much. It looks greasy glowy even with a matte foundation on top, so this is truly only suited for normal-dry skin, though those with an oily skin might make it work with a lot of powder. I'm underwhelmed by this one, just like with Charlotte's Hollywood Primer. It doesn't hide pores, the illumination is weak, it's not blurring, it doesn't prevent my foundation from slipping into lines, but at least it has a decent SPF protection and it does make help the makeup apply more smoothly, so as a basic primer it's nice, it's just not as good on my skin as some report it's on their's. But I think I'll end up wearing it a lot due to spf.

eBay (cosmeticmarket2012), $10.51 

ETUDE HOUSE Proof 10 Eye Primer

I actually ordered this before getting Artdeco which was in my last New in, but I knew I'll have to wait a month for it to arrive, so I grabbed that one as well to have something in the mean time. This is highly rated online and I can see why. The texture is more liquid than any other primer I've tried before and it takes a minute to dry. I did a test with one eye primed and the other not, and I used Essence's Metal Chrome eyeshadow which I'm not as impressed by than most it appears (they are poorly pigmented and crease). There was a big difference in intensity and in time this prevent it from creasing. I've been using it daily since then and it has never failed me. For the price this is great. 

eBay (cosmeticmarket2012), $5.54

HOURGLASS Ambient Lighting Powder

Diffused Light

I'm a bit conflicted about this one because sometimes it's great and then on sometimes it does nothing much. I've been resisting the relentless hype for year, since this is insanely expensive for some makeup product, but I took my chance when Feel Unique had -20% of life brands. All over the face it's nothing special because it doesn't my blur pores nor does it make the makeup look smoother/more blended and there's no "ethereal elfish/Galandriel glow", at least I haven't noticed it yet and I need to learn to use it/find the right products that work with it. It mostly looks like nothing much on the skin, but at least it's so finely milled it doesn't look powdery and fake looking. There's some sparse small shimmer in it, but it's only visible up close under artificial light. However, as much as I don't get it when it comes to use all over the face, it does on most occasions keep the foundation and other makeup from creasing in my smile lines around my mouth. I've been looking for a foundation/primer/powder that wouldn't slip into my lines or make it worse during the day because when I'm not wearing makeup you can't even see them and this does just that. Not just right after I apply makeup, but also if I chose some other powder and after a few hours my makeup is creased in those line, it can almost erase those lines, blurring and filing them in, however, sometimes it does nothing and I have no idea yet what affects its performance. Some use this as a highlighter, but it's barely noticeable in a thick coat, like I said it's mostly just nothing and it doesn't hold back any oiliness, so a separate powder for that purpose it needed under it. Over a setting powder it works better and I find I get better results than when I just use it directly over a foundation. I had a hard time deciding which shade to get, since the popular Dim light is said to be too dark for pale skin and Illuminating Light is allegedly too shimmery, but I picked Diffused Light despite fearing it will be too yellow because I saw a Youtuber who uses the same shade of foundation of Lancome as me using this and it works, it's completely translucent. It was very expensive, but considering it's (at most times) capable of doing something other products can't, it was a good investment, but I'm not sure about it doing anything when I apply it all over the face. 

Feel Unique, €50.40

HOURGLASS Veil Translucent Setting Powder

I got the small size with the stingy 0.9 g of product, but it's actually not that little-looking though the price is so high for what you get (I got it -20 %). When I was researching for powders, this one interested me most because it's some said it's a powder for those who hate the look of powder and that it's supposed to be nice also on dry skin (my skin is currently shifting from normal to very dry). It's the finest powder in my small collection and it truly doesn't look like powder at all on the skin. It has a slight blurring effect on the skin, but nothing spectacular and it doesn't prevent foundation from slipping in my smile lines. I notice shine soon even when my skin is dry, so it's not just natural oil, but this sort of turns into something more glowy, so this is not for oily skin in my opinion. I still need to use it more, but so far while I like it's invisible and it doesn't get cakey in time, I don't think it's worth the price. Maybe I'll change my mind the more I use it.

Feel Unique, €19.20

WET N WILD Color Icon Bronzer SPF 15 

Reserve Your Cabana

While I was exploring Hourglass Ambient Powders I came across a claim that this is a dupe for them (or maybe just Diffused Light). So since I already ordered Hourglass, I had to buy this too because that makes sense in this crazy head of mine. Truthfully, I was just curious if the comparison stands because I'm allergic to people throwing the word dupe so freely. So is it? Well, it's indeed very close, but this looks more powdery on the skin compared to the more finely milled Ambient powder which on me in time becomes more like a creamy texture. This also means it doesn't layer as nicely over a setting powder as that one, but honestly from far away you wouldn't be able to tell the difference, though this one has more tiny shimmer and it's doesn't prevent foundation from creasing in my smile line as well as Hourglass. Both last the same amount of time on me too. This is marketed as a bronzer and though I have pale skin, this is translucent on me and it has a nice looking very, very subtle glow on the skin. Using it as a highlighter you have to be very heavy handed for some proper glow, but you can use it all over for a some subtle radiance, though it doesn't give you the same effect as a regular highlighter applied in a thin coat. Like Ambient Powder personally I don't see what the big deal is, as neither are life changing products and I really wanted to see that amazing lit from within glow, but at least it was affordable and hopefully in time I grow to love both products or finally find a way to make them work. 

Beauty Bay, €5.00

MAYBELLINE Fit Me Loose Finishing Powder

05 Fair

Now this impressed me more than the powders above. This is so highly rated and is compared to the more expensive powder, in particular the hyped up Laura Mercier. It's not a typical product I generally like, since it's not invisible on the face, but it is doing a lot more than other powders I tried. From the start it looks powdery, but it's also nicely mattifying, while not being too draining or clingy or emphasising patches, it fills out the lines quite well (not perfect, but from some angles they are invisible) and it does a semi-decent job on pores, but it's not like a pore filing primer. In some time it becomes less powdery looking, but it's still nicely matte, or better said it looks like velvet on the skin. It's not ideal over spots, but let's faces it everything looks awful over spots (either not covered or cakey), as at least I haven't found anything that wouldn't look worse with makeup than without. It's also not best under my eyes, since my skin is more on the dry side there currently and this can look uneven. It gives some extra coverage, but not much, still you have to be careful when picking a shade, so you don't get something too dark or too pale. The packaging is somewhat annoying, though it it just a regular powder packaging, but since I tried the Primark's version with a mesh, there classic ones are so cumbersome. You get a very generous amount of 20 g which should last me ages, especially since I don't bake. It's not as easy powder to find though, since sites like Notino, Feel Unique, Spletična and others that sell Maybelline in EU don't have it (they really should because it's great), so I had to order on Amazon from a US seller and you can get it from US sellers on eBay too.

Amazon.de, €11.01

PIXI Glow Mist

I got this mainly for the ingredients, since it has propolis and niacinamide which are two ingredients my skin loves. Based on the list I'd say the dark green part is olive oil, but I don't know if it's only that. The mist is very fine, so much better than Catrice's, but not as fine as aerosolised Artdeco. I can be wet on the face for a while (sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't), but that promised glow is not that apparent on my skin - that little that is, doesn't last. It could be because it's already colder and my skin is just absorbing anything in sight despite heavier layers of moisturiser. It melts the makeup best of all sprays I've tried so far and it helps the makeup last longer. The only mini minus for me is the natural/herbal scent, but I can get over it. I'm quite happy with this even if it's not glowy, I rate it high especially because of ingredients. 

Look Fantastic, £12.80

L'OREAL PARIS Makeup Lumi Shake & Glow Dew Mist

This has such a great atomizer. It's miles better than Catrice's and while it's not as amazingly fine as Artdeco's mist in a can, this has such a fine mist. Despite the glow in the name, just like at Pixi I don't notice much of it, but it helps get the powderiness away and it helps prolonging the makeup. It's nothing special overall, but it doesn't what it's supposed too and the mix is so fine, not that different that the aerosolised Artdeco.

Feel Unique, €11.99

PIXI Skintreats Retinol Tonic

I loved the look of the entire Pixi Retinol line, especially the retinol oil, but I only got this (so far) because it's highly praised. It feels like a regular moisturising toner that absorbs quickly leaving nothing behind except for a smooth feeling. It smells so nice like lavender, though it has no fragrance. Retinol is low on the list, but the whole list looks good. I have the small 100 ml size, while larger ones exist too: a 250 ml and 500 ml with a pump. I've been using for a month now and I use too many things to be able to single out if this does anything special on its own, but I like having it in my routine.

Look Fantastic, £8.00

LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask

Berry

My lips aren't dry, in fact I almost never apply a lip balm during the day and only when I remember at night (I've been using my trusted Palmer's Swivel Stick for years, the rest feels rubbish compared to it). Still I was so temped to try this because of an overwhelming amount of positive reviews. It's a smooth vaseline/petroleum jelly type of consistency and it's easy to scoop out with the silicone spatula you get with the pot. On the lips it feels exactly like the old L'Occitane lip gloss formulas (like their 12-year old honey version, not the new pitiful excuse for a gloss Terre de Lumiere, but maybe other versions are different). It's a rich lip gloss formula with a nice amount of shine and the best staying power I've even encountered. On most days I wake up with a layers of this lip balm still on the lips and I mean where I applied it, not smeared all over the face. I can't say how effective it is on very dry lips, but reviews are rating it high and my lips look nicely nourished with no dry patches in the morning. Also the amount you get is huge, it's 25% more than Nuxe's famous lip balm and 4-times more than an regular stick balm, but you tend to use more on average if you use a spatula. I love this as much as Palmer's even though it's not as fast to apply.

eBay ( younfamily_kc), $11.87

A'PIEU Pure Block Natural Daily Sun Cream SPF45 PA +++

I ordered this a month ago when I couldn't find Nivea's Mattifying version (I've since found it) and I got the Q10 version instead which is terribly greasy, runs in my eyes and never sets. This was the cheapest one on eBay, it was only 6 € and I've had a sample a couple of years ago, so I knew what I was getting. I hoped it'd arrive sooner, but like most of the time parcels from Korea take a month to arrive, so it was already too late, now it's so cold that I barely spend any time outside, so this tube is staying closed until next spring (I have Olay's Regenerist SPF 30 in my local drugstore for daily use until then). I can just say what I wrote in my original review two years ago: it's a thicker sunscreen than my beloved Biore (which I now regret not getting instead), more of a classic sunscreen type of texture, it's also has that typical almost white cast finish when you're applying it in a thick coat like I'm used to apply Biore, but it blends in without leaving any white traces. It's greasier from the start, but it sets to a slightly velvety finish in about 5 minutes. That's longer than Biore, but it's still acceptable and it's a lot nicer in terms of elegance than 99% of European sunscreens.

 eBay ( younfamily_kc), $6.60

 THE ORDINARY 1% Retinol in Squalane

A month ago I finished Artnaturals 2.5% Retinol Serum which was like I was using nothing, meaning it was very light, it didn't dry out my skin nor make any type of change. So I got this 1% Retinol which is TO's harshest retinol and I was sure that since I was using 2.5% this won't have any effect on my skin, but I wanted it because it's in squalene, one of my favourite ingredient. I use it every other day, so averagely 3x a week and after second use my skin got dry and flaky, which I did not expect at all. So I guess Artnaturals is lying about the retinol content or the form they used in that serum - I don't know, I don't want to accuse anyone anything, but it's the only conclusion I can draw based on my limited knowledge. My skin was very dry (I applied a thick coat of Mixa Cica cream and it was absorbed and dry in an hour, so I kept reapplying it. By the way that cream is gold), but it only lasted two days, so it was nothing terrible and it fixed itself fast overall. My cheeks are more dry than before, but it's very manageable, though I wouldn't say my skin looks better now, but neither worse. It's only been a couple of weeks and I don't expect to see result for a few months. I'll report back when I finish the bottle, hopefully I see something. It's an light oil that I use as the last step in my routine. Skin stays greasy for a while and as they suggest, it best to use it in the night routine.

Beauty Bay, €6.50

THE ORDINARY Matrixyl 10% + HA 

I've recently used up Argireline Solution 10 % that also targets dynamic folds and it did absolutely nothing despite religious use. That one is like water, so I was surprised to see this is much heavier. It's a thick serum that dries sticky and it's harder to layer over, so I use it as one of the last steps. So far I haven't seen anything and I have doubts I will, since so far from all TO products I've tried apart from 2% salicylic acid, I've not been impressed by anything, not even their highly praised 30% AHA mask that feels like nothing on my skin. Well, see how it turns out, it can't hurt, plus it has hyaluronic acid.

Beauty Bay, €11.50

THE ORDINARY 100% Plant-Derived Hemi-Squalane

I got this because it felt better to get something for 3 € rather than pay for shipping (Beauty Bay has free shipping above 25 €). It wasn't easy finding something on their website that's so cheap and interesting, but I got this because a lot of reviews mentioned it's the best product for taming frizz. It's a like a very light silicone serum without silicones. It's too light for my hair, though it temporarily tames it, but for thin hair that gets easily weighted down by silicones, this looks like a good solution - I need some extra oily richness. However, I love it as a part of my skin care routine. It's an oil, but so light I can use it in the morning. This is actually my favourite product from the three I got and I have been regularly including it in the routine.

Beauty Bay, €3.25

*RIMMEL Lasting Matte Full Coverage Mattifying Foundation

103 True Ivory

I tried this when my skin was normal and now when it's dry. When I first tried this on my hand I was fully prepared to hate because it looks like a thick, very matte formula that would surely be aging like Maybelline's Superstay and flaky on skin that isn't oily. I was partly right. It's very thick and hard to get out of the tube, but it's like a thick mousse consistency when you start blending it. You have to careful to blend out the edges well because it's not spreadable like liquid foundations, but surprisingly this looks nice on normal skin. It's nice, fresh matte finish that doesn't look heavy or cakey, though it looks terrible on lines, but it fills out the pores ok. I feared it might wear terribly, getting drier and patchier - luckily that was not the case. However, when my skin got drier, this was terrible. Patchy, it did not melt into the skin, it emphasised dry patches - I didn't ever try to wear it all day, I just took it off. So performance really depends on the skin type, it has the potential to look good and to look terrible. Coverage is not full, it's more medium, but I didn't wear a concealer with this and it's enough got me. I got the lightest shade here 103 True Ivory, which is the 5th darkest in the range, so obviously it's way too dark and considering it doesn't blend as nice as liquid foundations, you need a shade that matches you perfectly. 

DM, 7.50 €

*RIMMEL Stay Matte Liquid Lip Colour

600 Coral Sass

I have this in the shade 500 Fire Starter, review is here. I consider this formula one of the best in our drugstores. It's properly matte and thought it's not completely opaque with one coat, applying more doesn't make it crumbly. Coral Sass is a medium pinky coral shade, not my style (it'd prefer something more neutral like Blush), but pretty nonetheless.

*RIMMEL Stay Matte Powder

Translucent

This is such a staple, a cult favourite, I know several people who aren't even that much into makeup and have been using it for years. But me - well, I've never tried it. For the longest time we didn't have Rimmel and back when my skin was still oily-combination, I settled for the much more expensive Givenchy Matissime because the situation in our drugstores was dire (Essence was much poorer quality back then and no Catrice yet. Cheap powders were rare in general, let alone good ones). I was concerned using this, since my skin isn't very oily and I thought it could look flaky on me with time like a lot of powders, but this is very fine, it doesn't look too obvious (it's not completely invisible from close-up) and it keeps the skin matte all day. It's a golden standard for sure, at least when it comes to mattifying, but that's all it does and it doesn't help make the foundation less obvious or blend the edges any better like some powders do. It promises to blur pores, which it does a little bit, but it's not a big difference.

The brushes were added to my parcel, but I have no idea if they are sold on the stands. 

*ORIFLAME Giordani Gold Essenza Sensuale

Eau de parfum

This smells amazing! I've been wearing this every day since I got it, it's so good. Notes in the catalogue state gardenia, orange flower and bourbon vanilla, while there’s more notes on the Fragrantica site, including precious wood, sandalwood and tuberose. It’s similar to Elie Saab le parfum due to orange flower, but so much nicer because it doesn’t have that cloying jasmine note. It’s a great cosy, warm woody-vanilla white floral with a good staying power. I'm a big fan. It doesn’t have a classic spray, instead it has a applicator with which you dab the fragrance directly on the pulse points. 

Oriflame, regular price 24.90 €, currently 14.99 €

BATH & BODY WORKS Fine Fragrance Mist

My fellow blogger the lovely Sandra from Keep Calm, Wear Lipstick blog shares my love for Bath & Body Works mists, so we've been exchanging testers of our stashes every now and then. She again blew me away with her parcel, I didn't even know she has so many BBW mists and she got me generous skin care testers of products I was very interested in. Thanks again!
Beautiful Day

A day-dreamy blend of daisies, pink peonies & sun-kissed apples.

Such an airy floral-sweet apple fragrance. It's similar to Champagne, Apple & Honey scent, but less sweet. The daisy note also makes it similar to Avon's Luck La Vie. I like this one a lot.

Cashmere Glow

Cashmere Glow envelops you in the warmth of vanilla & golden peach layered with luxurious cashmere musk.

Sandra once send me a body peeling with this scent and I liked it. This is an even better version. It's a warm peachy sweet cosy scent. I think if you like Twilight Woods and Amber Love, this will be up your alley. I'm a fan.

Sugared Cranberry Cider

The name says it all, it's sweet cranberry scent, but the warm, fall-winter version. More suited to younger crowds, but likeable.

Sweater Weather

A cool, fall-perfect blend of sun crisp apple, autumn leaves & orchard woods.

This is crazy popular among BBW fans, but I don't get it. It's got some a nice apple note, but it's overshadowed by this musty note. It reminds me of cold autumn days, which are just about the worst for a summer girl like me, but I can see why it's so popular. It's fresh and crisp, but it lacks sweetness for me. This is a unisex scent.

Bright Autumn Blooms

The most grown up scent in the brunch and very up my street. I can't find the notes, but it's like a high-end fragrance. A delightful rich floral on a maybe sandalwood-precious wood-musk base (I can't say for sure, but leans more towards powdery, rather than classic vanilla). I love this one, it's one of BBW's best quality scents. Too bad it was a LE, they need to include this into their regular line up, or bring it back next autumn.

Winterberry wonder

A sweet snowfall of red frosted winterberry, sparkling cranberry & crystal vanilla.

A berry vanilla. Sweet, juicy and warm. Very likeable, but more suited for kids. I have this one full size from 2017 when it was also a LE.

SKINTEGRA Atomic Cleansing Oil

I wasn't familiar with this brand until recently, but it's Croatian brand and Sandra tells me this is the best oil she tried. It's 20 € for 200 ml, though it's nice, it won't replace Hada Labo which I got almost half cheaper and I really love, as when it comes to cleansers  price is a very important factor for me. Skintegra is the nicest cleansing oil I tried, I can see why it's so loved by some. It's got a nice thick texture, it's easy to massage in on dry skin and it emulsifies into a rich milky emulsion. It washes off completely and leaves nothing behind. I've been using it for the last two weeks and my skin loves it, however, it's not that much better than Hada Labo. 

CERAVE PM Facial Moisturising Lotion

This was on my wishlist due to the niacinamide high on the list, plus it has ceramides, hyaluronic acid and cholesterol, and it's a very praised product in reviews. It's a medium thick lotion and I used it when my skin was very dry, but this barely made a dent despite the thick coat. However, when my skin normalised it was a nice basic moisturiser that did it's job. It's a very likeable product. I still love my Beauty of Joseon more, but I'd consider getting this one day.

CERAVE Hydrating Cleanser

A simple, creamy cleanser that doesn't really foam, but it doesn't irritate my eyes and it washes of completely. I like this a lot as most similar cleanser either didn't completely wash off and left a filter or irritated my eyes. I can see why it's a cult favourite. I'd buy it occasionally, but I know I'd still be buying the much cheaper Balea Washgel instead which suits me just fine, though Cerave is definitely much better. 

ROC High Tolerance Comfort Fluid SPF50

This was ok, but nothing to rave about. It's not super light, but also not a heavy sunscreen. It white when you start applying it and I feared it might leave a cast, but it blended into the skin without any white patches. I took a while to sink in and the skin wasn't dry to the touch like Missha's version, so it didn't impress me that much. Also throughout the day my skin felt weird, almost like it's irritating it in some way, which is weird considering it's meant for sensitive skin. 

NEOSTRATA Targeted Treatment Sheer Physical Protection SPF50 

I don't know who started a hype for this (I can't keep up with stories on IG, just with posts), but for the price I'm not the target demographic (29 €), since you're supposed to apply a lot of sunscreen at once, one tube almost evaporates in a month or two, so I'm looking only for very affordable ones. It's tinted, which given that it's a mineral sunscreen is probably a must to avoid a white cast. I don't like it. Though it's light, it's so greasy - not heavy greasy, but slippery greasy and it's so shiny. It takes quite a while to set to something less shiny. The tint is ok even on my skin tone and it's not orange, like most lightly tinted products are, but this is not for me.

MISSHA Aqua Sun Gel SPF50

I liked this straight away. I didn't try to apply the actually recommended amount, since it would be a waste on a day I was barely outside, but I tried a thick enough coat. It's a light-medium consistency sunscreen with a nice orange scent and it dries completely to a velvet finish, so zero stickiness, tackiness or greasy feeling. It reminds me a lot of Biore. It has a sunscreen shine, but since the skin is dry to the touch, it's much more manageable. Now I regret buying A'Pieu even more, this is seriously good.

I got one more parcel packed with goodies, this one from the fab Ana from Antiage Anasan, who spoiled me with some great skin care and makeup. Thank you! 

LAURA MERCIER Translucent Loose Setting Powder

I was especially happy to see this powder, which I was seriously considering getting, but I picked a mini Hourglass' Veil and Fit Me instead, even though Ana almost convinced me to get this one when I was still deciding what to get. This is exactly the same as Maybelline's Fit me Loose powder - and I mean exactly the same on my skin. I wore them side by side, one on each side of the face, switching sides on the next day and I couldn't tell them apart. Both are wonderful powders that mattify and to a degree blur/smooth the skin, but this does have that makeup look, which at this product I don't mind. This one is translucent and Fit Me is tinted, but I didn't see a difference in coverage. Both Maybelline Fit Me and Laura Mercier powder are great products, whether you prefer to stick to high end or save pennies on drugstore variants. 

BELLAPIERRE Heat Wave Highlighting Palette

You get five light-medium "strength" highlighters in this palette, all warm toned, but all apart from the middle shade are wearable leaning more towards neutral/champagne side, so they are very wearable even for my pale skin tone. Shimmer is fine, it reminds me of that great Catrice first shade in the Luminice palette, so they are all natural looking highlighters. Surprisingly I like the last shade most because it's a rose gold that is most unique in this palette.

ECOOKING Peeling Mask

I don't expect much from this type of masks because I've tried a few and I get nothing from them. Applying The Ordinary's 30% AHA feels like a toner to me and though this has lactic acid as the top acid ingredient instead of gylcolic (which apparently doesn't do much for me, based on my experience), I assumed I won't get much from this. Imagine my surprise when this actually stung when I applied it on the face. Mind you it lasted about 30 seconds, but at least I had a feeling something is working. It's says right on the packaging that it can turn the skin red and indeed my skin did turn red - I'm still in shock I found an AHA product that has an effect on my skin, I thought I was a lost case for sure. I only needed the smallest amount, so even this generous sample pot should last me a while. Like I said my skin was red right after application and it had an intense "plastic glow" , I've never seen any product do anything like it. I kept on for 6 minutes, they recommend to slowly build your tolerance to 10-12 minutes. I'll keep using this once a week as suggested - hopefully I'll remember.    

SULWHASSO Clarifying Mask Ex

This is a peel off mask, so the name is a bit deceiving, as under a name clarifying I imagine a clay mask. I've tried two similar products in recent years: Elizaveca Miss Piggy and The Body Shop Tea Tree version, neither can hold a candle to this one. Those two felt like they didn't attach on the skin where it matters, so on the nose and pores on the sides of the cheeks, while at this one it was a lot more like a proper patch. It didn't get much from my pores though, but I never expect miracles at such products, since none ever worked as they should on me, despite having large pores especially on the sides of the nose. The texture is thick, like a glue, but despite that it's easy to spread. Instructions say to wait 20-30 minutes for it to dry, but it was drier faster on me. It didn't peel off in one piece and I struggled on the edges, but I got it all off eventually. It's got a strong herbal scent. If you're looking for a peel off product that actually feels like a peel off product, this is the only decent one I've tried so far, even if it didn't clear out my pores completely.

VERSO Super Eye Serum with Retinol 8

I haven't used this one, since I'm using TO's Retinol, but when I do, I'll update you. I've read some rave reviews about it, so I really look forward to try it, though I secretly hope I don't fall in love with this because it's soo expensive, but on the other hand I really want to see some results.  

THE INKEY LIST Q10 

This is so much nicer than Q10 products I had from Nivea. All of those were so thick and impossible to layer, but this is a medium thick lotion that needs some time to sink in, but not too long. I've only used it a few times so far, but I like it and it's so affordable.

IDUN Moisturising Face Mask

I used this when my skin was dry. It's a rich nourishing mask with great ingredients. I applied it in a thick coat as suggested and left it on overnight. In the morning a few dry patches I had on my nose and dryness around old spots were gone. 

Have a great day!

Empties #33

Balea Bilou Biobaza catrice COSRX Dove Empties essence Etude House Eucerin L'Oreal Professionnel Maybelline Nars Nivea Pantene revlon Skinfood Subrina The Body Shop Tonymoly

Empties #33

Admin   September 07, 2019   Comment  

 MAYBELLINE Fit Me Luminous + Smooth Normal to dry skin

110 

I didn't like this foundation when I first got it as it looked awful on my skin, but I still used it regularly because it was one of the rare shades that fit me perfectly. I then completely rewamped my skin care routine and most foundations started to look much better on me, this one included. In fact by the end of the bottle I liked this one a lot. It's got light, maybe light-medium coverage with a nice natural finish. Before the skin care change this emphasised lines, pores and looked patchy on my nose, but after it looked like skin. Shade 110 fit me great and it's still one of the lightest shades in the drugstores (it's lighter than 110 from the Matte + Poreless line). It's more moisturising than Matte + Poreless, but on me they looked about the same, Matte just hides pores a bit and this one doesn't. 

Repurchase: I think I might, though I'm currently checking out their Urban Cover formula because the shades look promising too.

NARS Sheer Glow Siberia and REVLON Colorstay Foundation Normal/Dry Skin 110 Ivory

I put these two together because on my skin they looked identical. I wore them once one on each side and I couldn't tell them apart, in fact I liked to mix these two together because Siberia is too yellow and 110 Ivory is passably pink, but together they made the great pale neutral shade. Both are medium-full coverage foundations with a semi-matte or matte finish that isn't drying, the only difference was that Colourstay looked better as it wore off, as for some reason Nars collected around the nose on me. These two aren't actually empty, however, they are very old and I haven't been wearing them for a while because as they aged, the worse they started to look on the skin, but I'm putting them in storage, so I'll at least have them for comparison swatches. By my last use they looked terribly patchy, fake and I just took them off. Otherwise they are still the only high coverage foundations I liked well enough, at least when they were new.

Repurchase: Maybe Colorstay, but I'm happy with the medium coverage of Milani Conceal + Perfect. Sheer Glow is way too expensive, when a cheaper dupe for my skin exist.

TONYMOLY Pikachu Mini Cover Cushion

I loved the cushion concept, as it's so easy and quick to apply. The formula had light coverage and it looked great freshly applied, but in time turned into a greasy finish that needed powdering. Still I liked it well enough.

Repurchase: I don't know if these exist anymore or if other TM formulas are similar, but I'd love to try some more cushion foundations.

ESSENCE I <3 Extreme Volume Mascara Waterproof

My favourite mascara. It creates the biggest lashes, has the best multiplying effect because it catches individual lashes, it doesn't stick them together and it holds a curl of my stubborn lashes. One minus is the massive brush which almost always touches my lids during application, but I can live with it because it is regardless an absolutely outstanding mascara .

Repurchase: Done.

CATRICE Liquid Eyeliner Matt

010 Dating Joe Black

Another favourite. I use this every day because it's the best liquid eyeliner I've found. It's super black, matte, long-lasting and has never let me down. I always have a spare in stock.

Repurchase: Done.

THE BODY SHOP Camomile Gentle Eye Makeup-Remover

I never warmed up to this. It's fine, just not really good. The texture is light, non-greasy, but it's only effective on regular makeup and when I'm using a separate eye makeup remover, I expect it to deal with the waterproof stuff too. It's indeed gentle as TBS say and it did not irritate my eyes. It's nice, just not what I need.

Repurchase: No.

BIOBAZA Exclusive Face Cleansing Micellar Oil

My regular cleansing oil. It's one of rare oils that works with my skin as most others I've tried tend to break me out, but it's relatively weak and doesn't remove eye makeup well. This is probably my fifth or sixth bottle in a row and I use this every day without fail together with the Balea gel, but I'd still love to find something cheaper, easily accessible and effective - I just ordered Hada Labo which was 11.5 € for 200 ml (Biobaza is 12.79 € for 150 ml).

Repurchase: Done.

BALEA MED Ultra Sensitive Waschgel

I got this instead of the Erfrieshendes/Refreshing version when it was gone from our DMs for a while. This was a bit more expensive, but I hoped it was similar enough and indeed it is. Only differences are the scent, as this is has none and strangely enough for a sensitive version, this isn't quite as gentle on my eyes as the refreshing version, but it wasn't terrible. 

Repurchase: Only if the Refreshing version is out of stock.

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Mask Wash Off

My favourite scrub. It's very harsh, since as the name itself says it's a sugar scrub, but it's the only thing that makes my skin feel smooth and soft. I have the honey version too, but even though it smells amazing, it's not as effective.

Repurchase: Done.

COSRX Galactomyces 95 Whitening Power Essence

 I've been using this every day for over a year or two now and it has improved the texture of my skin. One of the differences I notice is that my makeup applies so much more smoothly since I started using this and my pores look less severe.

Repurchase: Done, now it has a new name Galactomyces 95 Tone Balancing Essence.

SKINFOOD Black Sugar Perfect First Serum 2x

I got this because I expected a similar result that I got from COSRX Galactomyces plus brightening. It's just a sample, but it lasted me ages. It's a toner-like product and it contains Black Sugar Extract, niacinamide and galactomyces. I liked it, but I prefer CORSX.

Purchase: No.

ETUDE HOUSE Moistfull Collagen Facial Toner

One of my favourite toners, in terms of texture it's the nicest one I've tried. It reminds me a lot of Hada Labo Hyaluronic Lotion in terms of texture, which means it's not like our toners, instead a rich toner-meets-serum consistency. It feels so comforting and lovely on the skin, it's just great stuff. The smells is also amazing, like oranges and it became one of my favourite scents of skincare.

Purchase: I'd love to, but my skin care line up is so long already. Cezanne replaced this in my morning routine.

 EUCERIN Hyaluron Filler Vitamin C Booster

This is the first vitamin C product that is doing something for me. After about two weeks of use my skin started to look so good, it had a nice healthy glow, it was completely clear and started slowly becoming more even, though with my freckled complexion I'm not expecting a lot. The texture of this is so lovely and it's making me want to use it unlike Tiam's where I skipped a day simply because it was so obnoxious to use. It's an emulsion with a lovely smooth liquid formula that applies with ease and feels moisturising. The bottle is very small with only 7.5 ml of product and I find that it's best to keep it stored downwards because the soft bottom can't reach all the way to the end and even though you think it's empty, there is still some left. I love this, it's my favourite Vitamin C product out of the four I tried, but it is expensive per ml, so I don't know how often I'll be buying it. 

Repurchase: Yes.

NIVEA Q10 Power Deep Wrinkle + Firming Treatment 

I saw no results from this apart from a good dose of nourishment. It's very thick, so not easy to apply and it's got a strong fragrance. One plus - the bottle lasted me more than 10 days and I wasn't frugal with it. 

Repurchase: No.

THE ORDINARY Advanced Retinoid 2%

This is the old formulation and actually this bottle is very old, so I haven't been using it for ages. I was very diligent with it for many months, kept hoping to see something, but I saw zero effect on my skin, so I stopped using it and focused on other products.

Repurchase: This version is discontinued, but they have many other versions. I ordered samples from other brands to see if I like those retinol products more. 

BIORE UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF 50+ PA ++++

My favourite sunscreen, I'm sad to see this go. It's the lightest one I've found, it's got no shine and despite the tons of alcohol, it was never drying on my dry skin. I could easily apply the recommended amount without greasy heavy feeling or having to wait ages for it to set. The gel version works the same on my skin, but I believe people with oily skin prefer that one.

Repurchase: Yes, but they revamped the formula since this one.

EUCERIN Sun Fluid Anti-Age SPF 30 

This was hard to fall in love with after trying Biore. I just found this in my stash from 2017, so I haven't been using it for a while. It's got a rich texture that took 10 minutes to properly set, so it was not something to use in a hurry, but I could deal with that. The main reason I stopped using this was that it made my skin worse, so something in this must have been clogging my pores. I prefer Nivea's mattifying sunscreen from the products available in our drugstores. 

Repurchase: No.  

NIVEA Hyaluron Cellular Filler 10 Minute Sheet Mask

This was just awful all together. The thick, stiff sheet was very uncomfortable and there was no visible, not basic moisturising effect from it. K-Beauty masks are so much better.

Repurchase: No.

 SUBRINA Shower Gel

Cherry Blossom and Unicorn Splash

Three more of these have been used up, it's a standard in the shower. I get Cherry Blossom most because everyone likes it (powdery floral strong scent that lingers) and I got Rainbow Splash for a bit of a change. The latter smells like Haribo gummy bears. Currently I have the new Fresh Elder, which is my favourite at the moment. 

Repurchase: Yes.

DOVE Deeply Nourishing Shower Gel

The good old original with its luxurious thick and rich texture. This is by far my favourite shower product even though it's hard to get out when it's running low. 

Repurchase: Yes. I'm so glad this exists in a big bottle.

DOVE Body Wash

Summer Breeze

This is a limited edition scent that I found in Müller. It's a nice fruity-fresh clean scent, but nothing special. I wish Dove had something with grapefruit, orange or like Subrina's Fresh Elder. The formula is one of the new Dove ones, which are not as luxuriously creamy as the original, so I'm not 100% happy with it because when I pay more for a Dove shower gel I expect that fabulous rich texture, but it's fine, still better than most other stuff.

Repurchase: Probably not this scent anymore, but I repurchased Coconut & Jasmine, which is my favourite. 

 BILOU Creamy Shower Foam

Fizzy Berry

I had this for absolutely ages and the reason for that is so typical of me it hurts - I love it, so I never used it and kept it only for special occasions, which is just a ridiculous thing to do and I need to stop doing that. I had hopes we would get this here by now, but it probably won't happen. It's actually very similar to Balea's version of shower foam and both are such lovely thick mousses that are just a pleasure to use. This one has a lovely sugary berry scent reminiscent of the discontinued Cedevita Fruit of the Forest I loved.

Repurchase: Yes, if I ever reach Austria again. 

THE BODY SHOP Satsuma Body Butter

This has one of the most refreshing, uplifting scents ever. I always had more of a love/not-loving-it-100% relationship with it because I have to be in the mood for such a zesty scent, but for summer months it's great and the scent is most intense on the skin of all TBS butters. I actually found a better refreshing, uplifting scent for my taste, TBS's, Grapefruit which is on my wishlist. The texture of Satsuma version is somewhere in between TBS's thickest Shea and lightest Honey and Almond Milk, but as is usual very nourishing and one of my favourite ever formulas.

Repurchase: Yes someday, but I'll get other version before it. I still have Shea, Cactus Flower and Pumpkin vanilla

BALEA Rasier Gel

Sweet Passion

I've been buying these for many years and I don't plan to switch. This version had very sweet tropical scent with more prominent notes of passionfruit.

Repurchase: Done.

NIVEA dry comfort Anti-Perspirant

Worked as it should, but the scent was boring. No significant yellow patches to report about, but as a stick deodorant it of course left white marks.

Repurchase: I don't know. I took Dove this time to mix it up a bit.

BALEA 5% UREA Dusche + Shampoo  

I liked this well enough. Formula is thin so I have to use a lot, but it's not drying which is a miracle when it comes to my hair. 

Repurchase: Yes. I also found Aveo has a version with 10% urea.

PANTENE Repair & Care Conditioner

Best drugstore conditioner ever! Why does this not come in buckets? All joking aside, this truly is a marvellous formula that manages to nourish even my extremely dry, coarse and currently bleached/coloured hair, plus it even makes it a bit softer (miracle) and shinier. You have no idea how happy I am that I found this. The Superfood version is equally excellent too.

Repurchase: Done. 

L'OREAL PROFESSIONAL Serie Expert Lipidum Absolut Repair

This was my fail safe reasonably priced hair mask that I've been using for the past few years and I always got the 500 ml pot that lasted a long time. It was the cheapest hair mask that actually felt enough for my hair, but now I found Pantene Repair and Superfood lines which is cheaper, easier to get and it also smell better. I might still buy this one day because it has ceramides, but for now I'm happy with the cheaper alternative. 

Repurchase: Possibly.

OLAPLEX n.3

I've said it before that I get no magical results from this, certainly not in the lines of Joico K-Pack or Schwarzkopf's Blondeme lines, but  since it has a bond rebuilding ingredient I like to use it to prevent damage rather than fix it, especially since I colour and bleach my hair. This promises to reconnect the broken sulphide bonds that are ruined by bleaching, colouring and heat tools. One bottle lasted me a lot more than I expected. A 100 ml usually doesn't go further than 2 uses when it comes to my hair, but this is so easy to spread that I got 6 and a half (I had to start a new bottle for the last treatment). I'm considering getting the shampoo and conditioner too, and I already got the Olaplex N.6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Crème, which has superior visible results to n.3 on my hair. 

Repurchase: Done.

HEALTHY SEXY HAIR Healthy Sexy Hair Tri-Wheat Leave In Conditioner 

My favourite spray leave-in conditioner. It helps my hair stay hydrated longer and helps me get a less frizzy blow-out. I had many bottles of this and for some reason each was slightly different. This bottle was thicker than most, so the spray didn't work as nicely as it should. I hope the next one will be the good old formula. I saw the packaging is different now. 

Repurchase: Yes.

KERASTASE Elixir Ultime 

I had this for more years than I should admit, but it's because it's not an oil I used regularly due to it being too light for my thick hair. I got it as a very generous gift with purchase and mine came in a LE bottle by Jade Jagger, though I have the original packaging too just in a small size that's in my car in my emergency bag. Because it's so light, this doesn't have as long lasting taming effects as for example Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil, which are all much heavier, but I used Elixir Ultime for very quick temporary fixes when my hair was frizzy or tangled. This is a formula more suited for thin hair, though for such a price there are so many cheaper dupes, such as Luxurious Coconut version that's sold in this part of Europe, but for something that's sold worldwide L'Oreal's is most similar (and actually Kerastase is their brand anyway).

Repurchase: No, I'll stick to the heavier Orofluido, Moroccanoil and Macadamia Natural Oil.

 BALEA Oil Repair Intensiv Thermo Turbanmaske 

Utterly useless on my very dry, long hair. Too little product and I got no heating effect. 

Repurchase: No.

L'OREAL Excellence Crème 9.1 Natural Light Ash Blonde and 8.1 Light Ash Blonde

These two again did their job of toning, covering and lifting my hair colour after bleaching and created a much nicer result. I did another balayage session and made it to levels 10 (very light blonde) to 7 (dark blonde), so my hair was a mess of yellow and orange tones, meaning I couldn't just use a regular toner without either leaving orange tones in the hair or over toning the lightest bits to a blue shade, so I used a combination of these two: 8.1 on the crown (25 minutes), 9.1 in the middle lengths (10-15 minutes) and 9.1 with a 3% developer on the ends (4 minutes). I came out a an ashy blonde with some slightly warmers bits. Again my hair was not dry after use and the conditioner this comes with is amazing. I had the new and the old packaging. The old one has a protective serum and the new one a shampoo instead. I actually liked the shampoo, though it's not the best idea to wash off the colour with a shampoo and you should wait with washing for at least a couple of days (especially true for amonnia-free colours in case you didn't know), but Excellence colours are bloody hard to wash off (based on experience). 
Repurchase: Yes.

ETUDE HOUSE Sunprise Mild Airy Finish SPF 50+ PA +++ - I used up the last of my samples. This is a mineral sunscreen, so though it's very light, it does have some white cast from the start, but it sinks in within minutes and it goes away. It's dry on my skin, so I need to use a good moisturiser under it and a moisturising foundation, but for oily skin it could be a decent choice. Purchase: I prefer Biore, but this one isn't bad and it's mineral. I might get it one day.

PURITO Centelia Green Level Safe Sun Spf50+ PA++++ - In a thin coat it absorbs in a few minutes and leaves film of product, applied as recommended it takes several minutes to dry down to only a slightly tacky layer and after a while to a relatively dry to the touch noticeable layer, but makeup can be applied over it with no problems. It's not as nice as Biore nor even Nivea, but it's ok if you have plenty of time for it to dry down. It's heavily scented with a herbal kind of scent. Purchase: No, there are better ones, though this one isn't bad.

TONYMOLY Banana Hand Milk - this has a strong banana sweets scent (Casali), which disappears quickly. It's a cream-balm type of formula of medium thickness and it needs a few minutes to absorb completely. Ok, but there are better ones. Purchase: No

PURITO ABP Triple Synergy Liquid - this looked like a dupe for COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid and I prefer the latter. It's hard to say anything from a few samples I had, but it's a light liquid product that caused me no irritations. Purchase: No.

L'OCCITANE After-Shave Balm - I think my brother gave them these a long time ago. It smells lovely like cypress and shea butter. Formula is nicely rich. Purchase: As a gift for a man, yes.

TONLYMOLY The Chock Chock Green Tea Intense Cream - one sample was hard to judge from. It felt too thick and it has a strong green tea scent. Purchase: No.

TONYMOLY BCDation Plus - I would have liked this if the shade weren't too dark. It looks good on the skin, medium coverage, but without the heavy look and it looked fresh. Purchase: No.

THE FACE SHOP Le Marche The Therapy Oil-Drop Anti-Aging Serum - Ingredients-wise this is nothing special and I did not like this much. I expected a dry oil type of consistency, but this is a thick gel that just sits on the skin for hours refusing to sink in, so I couldn't even apply other skin care over it out of fear it will pill. I've only used it once, so I can't say much in terms of effect, but I saw nothing. Purchase: No

Have a great day!